Can Doing Push-Ups Make My Breasts Perky?

Can Doing Push-Ups Make My Breasts Perky?
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Whether your breasts are sagging as a result of childbirth, age or simple genetics, their droopy demeanor can be quite discomforting. Rather than opting for plastic surgeon, you might first try to correct the problem through exercise. Although it may seem like an impossible promise, doing push-ups can actually make your breasts perky.

Chest Anatomy

Composed mostly of fat and glands, a woman's breasts are attached to the chest by the breast envelope, a piece of skin that surrounds the breast's entire structure. Near the top of the breast, a thick ligament composed of connective tissue helps attach the breast to the breast envelope. A female's chest muscles lie directly underneath the breasts. The pectoralis major is the larger chest muscle, while the pectroralis minor is a smaller chest muscle that lies underneath the pectoralis major. When you exercise, you are actually working these two muscles. Since breasts are composed of fatty tissue, they cannot be toned directly through exercise. However, as the chest muscles become tighter, they tend to hold the breasts up higher and provide a perkier appearance.

Benefits of Push-Ups

Push-ups fall within the top 10 list of the most effective exercises for developing the pectoral muscles. During a push-up, the muscles that work the hardest are the pectoralis major muscles, deltoid muscles, serratus anterior muscles and tricep muscles. These muscles span across the chest and move around the shoulders before ending at the ribcage and elbows. When you do push-ups, keep your body completely straight from head to toe. If you need to rest on your knees, maintain a straight line from head to knees. Pivot from your toes or knees, rather than your waist or neck.

Additional Exercises

Along with push-ups, a variety of other chest exercises can help tone and tighten the chest muscles. When done regularly over the span of several weeks, these exercises can certainly result in a perkier appearance. The chest press exercise on a flat bench works both pectoral muscles. Performing the chest press on an incline bench works just the upper muscle, while performing the exercise on a decline bench works only the lower chest muscle. Several repetitions of dumbbell flys while lying on a flat bench is an effective exercise for the outer pectoral muscles.

Considerations

If your breasts are large, you may find that they actually become smaller after you begin an exercise routine. As with any type of exercise, push-ups and other chest exercises cause your body to burn calories. If you burn more calories than you take in through food, you will lose weight. During weight loss, your body determines which areas it wishes to remove fat from. For many women, the breasts are one of the primary fat loss locations. If you are looking to perk up your breasts without losing weight, be careful to balance the calories you burn with the calories you consume.

References

Article reviewed by David Fisher Last updated on: May 26, 2011

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